The 2024 results of Cedefop’s European skills index (ESI) show that skills systems are on a converging course in Europe, even though there is still a long way until full convergence is achieved.
ESI, one of Cedefop's online tools, assesses the performance of European skills systems and the improvements made over time and highlights the areas where further attention should be given to. It is built on three pillars of investigation:
These three pillars are divided into six sub-pillars and then into 15 measurable indicators that are closely related to policy monitoring and questions. The performance of the overall skills system is summarised by the ESI score.
This year's ESI edition has gone through an independent statistical audit made by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre to ensure methodologically sound and robust results. Outcomes show clear signs of progress in all pillars through the last seven years, with skills development being the hardest to improve.
The outcomes of the 2024 ESI suggest that skills matching and activation have been improving significantly over time, giving people, especially younger ones, positive feedback regarding labour market in the years to come.
The 2024 rankings (figure 1 above), group countries into four broad categories based on their performance, but results indicate that all countries have significant room for improvement in all dimensions.
‘Skill systems play a crucial role in providing the necessary skills, which become particularly vital during periods of transition. Thus, vigilant monitoring of their effectiveness can facilitate a more seamless transition into the digital and green landscape’ Cedefop expert, responsible for developing the ESI, Ilias Livanos points out.
